Robyn Jacobs: Ace Attorney--Episode 1: First Wits
by T. D. Prince
Summary: A fire burns, both in the heart and in a barn. Two men look square in the eye. One is old in years, the other is young. BAM! The younger man picks up the gun, and shivers in fright. "Young Sir," a policeman walks up. You're under arrest for the charge of murder." (COMPLETE)
1. Chapter 1: A Small Town Called Odyssey

**Read at your own risk. This was a young teen writing this. I hope to do a better and updated version in the future! - TDP**

Robyn Jacobs: Ace Attorney  
Episode 1: First Wits  
Chapter 1

A fire burns, both in the heart and in a barn. Two men look square in the eye. One is old in years, the other is young. _BAM!_ The younger man picks up the gun, and shivers in fright. "Young Sir," a policeman walks up. "You're under arrest for charge of murder."

I am Robyn Jacobs, a defense attorney. And while this wasn't my first case, it certainly was the first case that changed me. It was also the first case I had ever done in my own hometown, and the first case that taught me something-The truth is stranger than fiction. Since it took a battle of wits to uncover the truth about this case, let's call it "First Wits".

I guess I should tell you about my hometown, since this is where the case started and ended. It's a small, Midwestern town called Odyssey. You could say that, in this modern age, Odyssey is a remnant of the past, but there are some like me, who still call it home.

In Odyssey, there is an ice cream shop and "discovery emporium" as the owner, John Avery Whittaker calls it. In fact, the shop is named "Whits End" as a play on words. That's where this case really started.

The building itself was a gigantic, Victorian-styled recreation center. With a modern glass dome comprising the other half of the shop, you really couldn't miss it. As a walked through the door, I heard the ring of an all too familiar bell and the voice of an old friend.

"Robyn!" Connie Kendall ran, her strawberry-blonde hair bouncing as she did. "It's so good to see you!" She said while hugging me.

"Connie! It's so good to see you too after all these years!"I said.

"So, how have you been? I heard you became a defense attorney."

"Yes I did! I've had a few cases after that Candid Conversations call."

"Really? Well, I'd love to hear about them-"

"Connie?" From the kitchen came a older gentleman, sporting white, curly hair. This was John Avery Whittaker, or Whit, as some called him. "Connie, can you- Robyn, is that you?"

"Yep, Mr. Whittaker, it's me!" I said.

"Well, it's been awhile since we've seen you in these parts," he said. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, I would! Maybe a cup of coffee?"

"Alright! One cup of coffee coming right up!" Connie said. "And don't worry, It's on the house for former residence of Odyssey, since so many are coming back to the town."

"For the 'Best Town' competition, right?" I asked as Connie poured the dark liquid into a cardboard cup.

"Yep! And here's your coffee," Connie said, while the aroma of the coffee filled the air. But it wasn't the only thing filling the air, for the familiar tune of "Amazing Grace" found its way into my ears. "Oh, that's my phone," Connie said, as she took the black Appleberry from her pocket.

"Hello, Constance Kendall here. OK, what is it? No...how?" Connie stood still as she placed her hand to her mouth. "I'll tell Whit right away, and you be careful, alright? OK, bye," Then Connie hung up from her phone call.

"What is it Connie?" Whit asked.

You could sense Connie was holding back tears. "W-well, Whit," One tear fell from her face, then two, then so many you couldn't count. "T-that was Joanne. She just told me T-Tom died...In his barn...there was a fire..."

Whit sighed and turned away. "I'm going to go to my office."

"Wait!" Connie sobbed. "They think Richard Maxwell did it!" Whit turned back. "It couldn't have been Richard though, he's changed, I know it! There must be some explanation!"

"All we can do is pray," Whit replied.

"Wait," I said. "There is something I can do." I got up from my seat at a booth, but Connie stopped me.

"Robyn, where are you going?" she asked.

"The only place that a defense attorney can go to when a case has started, I'm going to see the client." I confidently walked out the door. This was going to be a tough case, and I knew it. Who was the real killer? And why did Richard Maxwell go to see Tom?

Strolling through Odyssey made me feel like a kid again. McAlester Park, with its lush, autumn trees gave me so much nostalgia. Immersed in my own memories, I forgot my objective. I sat down on a wooden park bench, thinking of my childhood. The park was in the center of the town, with its winding trail leading to Whit's End. The trees followed the trail on both sides, every one of them spaced at an equal distance from each other.

"Did you hear about that new lawyer? I think her name was Mia Fey," My ears perked at this. A little girl, most likely 10 or 11, had said this. She had wavy, auburn hair, and a sea-green jacket.

"Yes, Emily, I heard about her," Another, presumably in her mid-20s, responded to the young girl named Emily. They were both walking along the trail. The older one screamed of a rich lifestyle. She had short, light blonde hair, and a fair complexion. She had a white, "puffy" dress, with a gold apron.

I got up from the bench and walked closer to the two girls and said: "What's this about a new lawyer?"

"Mia Fey, she was the lead defence lawyer in a murder case. In fact, it was only her second case," The blonde replied.

"My second case was an inheritance dispute," I said, glumly.

"You're a lawyer?" Emily replied.

"Yep! Robyn Jacobs, defense attorney," I said, with a cheerier attitude.

"I'm Emily Jones, my father is also a defense attorney!" Emily said."And this is M-"

"I'm Maurice," the other said, interrupting Emily. "My father is also a lawyer, however, he is a prosecutor. His name is Manfred von Karma."

Manfred von Karma? That name shook me to the bone. Manfred von Karma was one of the most famous prosecutors of my time, and to think I was standing right next to his daughter!

"So, Ms. Jacobs, Are you on any case right now?" Emily asked.

"Yes, in fact, I am, or will be," I replied. "Oh! And that reminds me, I need to see my soon-to-be client! So, I bid you adieu, ladies."

As I turned and walked to the direction of the Odyssey police station, I heard Emily shout "Bye!" I turned around and waved. Maurice and Emily both waved back.


	2. Chapter 2: Richard Maxwell, My Client

I walked up the country road at 6 o'clock in the evening, wearing a white winter coat while talking to the sheriff on my flip phone. "Yeah, since he's a good citizen of the town, and since we don't even know if he's guilty or not, we decided to just put Maxwell in house arrest," he said.

"So just take the Northlane Road until you get to his house?" I asked.

"Yep, there should be one of our guys at his place to greet you."

"Okay. I'll let you go now."

"That's fine, bye," the sheriff said. I hung up the phone, then slipped it back into my pocket. A few minutes later, I saw the house. It was a old, blue country house, in some need of repair. The light was on, and sure enough, a policeman approached me.

"You must be Ms. Jacobs?" he said.

"Yes, I am"

"Well, I personally think Maxwell's guilty," he said with a smirk.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence". I walked through the white door, and there was Richard Maxwell. He didn't have the appearance of a criminal, more like a young man without a hope. He had curly, brown hair, and a cast was over his arm. He was sulking on a white chair

"You must be my lawyer. Now, before you say anything, let me say something," I nodded approval. "It's hopeless. I'm a criminal, again. I'm going to be pronounced guilty for something I didn't do."

"I don't think so, at least, not while I'm around," I said sternly. "Now, tell me the details." I sat down onto the chair next to him.

"What's there to know? There was a fire, I was the one holding the gun when they entered the barn. I know I didn't do it, but they'll pronounced me guilty anyway."

"I know that isn't the full story. Now, start at the beginning. Why did you go to Tom's in the first place?"

Richard sighed. "Fine. I-I went to Tom's farm to ask for his forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?"

"Yeah. Were you in Odyssey during Blackgaard's attempt to get the Applesauce program?"

"Yes, I was living here at that time."

"Well, during that time, I was sent by Blackgaard to do some, well, work.. At Tom's farm. I was supposed to burn it down. And I did."

I gasped. The memories of that time flooded my mind. There was a long silence.

"I asked Tom for forgiveness once, he refused," Richard said, breaking that said silence.

"Did he forgive you this time?" I asked.

Richard gave a slight smile. "When I went to his barn, around 3:00. I pleaded and pleaded. I knew that my efforts would fail. He would never forgive me, not after that day."

"Oh. That must be heartbreak-"

"No, it isn't."

"Huh?"

"You didn't let me finish. Tom forgave me."

"Oh!" I chuckled in embarrassment.

"B-but then, somehow, I don't know how it happened, but-"

"The fire?"

"Yeah. I swear it wasn't me. I don't know how it happened, and then- the gunshot. _BAM_! I remember it clear as day. I tried to pull Tom out of the way, but I was to late. I picked up the gun, it was lying on the floor, then I heard sirens, and now look at me. House arrest. It's useless."

"No, it isn't. Thanks for your help." I gave Richard a slight smile, to give him some comfort during this time. It was going to be a tough battle, but I was ready.


	3. Chapter 3: The Trial Begins

One week after I had talked to Richard, I walked into the court's main lobby, notes in hand. It was beautiful, with pristine white walls. The door to the courtroom was made out of polished, brown oak wood, with handles made with a gold coating. Suddenly, you could hear the sound of a rope being thrown into midair. A gloved hand grabbed onto the rope, and struck the floor with the rope. It was Maurice. "You didn't think you'd need an assistant?" She said.

"An assistant?"

"Yes, an assistant. This is your first case in Odyssey!"

"Yes, but not my very first case."

"Still, I've already memorized the court record. And plus, I already know who the prosecutor is."

"Then, what is in the court record?"

""Last week, approximately 3:00 PM, there was a fire at the barn of Tom Riley. The defendant, Richard Maxwell, was find at the scene of the crime, holding the gun."

"Ok," I said, smirking. "Who is the prosecutor, then?"

At this point, Maurice grew tense. "Miles Edgeworth," she said.

"Edgeworth? The Edgeworth that has a perfect record of wins? The one that will use any means necessary to win?"

"Yes, I'm afraid."

"Oh, and Maurice?"

"Yes?"

"Please, don't carry that rope thing around, we're in a courtroom."

"Sorry," she said embarrassedly. "It's a von Karma tradition.'

We walked into the courtroom. People were lined up in the seats. Those who were jurors looked impatient. I received a tug on my sleeve. It was Connie. "You'll do great!" She said.

"Thanks," I said back.

I went on walking, until Maurice froze. "What is it?" I followed her gaze. A man in a crimson suit was staring back at Maurice. He had wavy, black hair. He was Miles Edgeworth. He turned his gaze over to me. He had a puzzling look on his face, one I could not discern. Richard was already there, head down. I felt sorry that he had to go through this ordeal.

I walked on and sat down on my chair, Maurice following suit, still glaring her eyes at Edgeworth. "All rise!" the bailiff shouted, breaking Maurice from her "staring contest" with Edgeworth. "The Honorable Judge Laul X. Dea presiding." The Judge was an old gentleman. He was bald, and had a long, white beard. He wore the classic black robe of a judge.

"Is the prosecutor ready to state there case?" the Judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor, I am," Edgeworth replied.

"You may proceed then, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth walked over to the center of the courtroom. "I plan to show that the defendant, Richard Maxwell, is guilty of the murder of Thomas Riley. For, at that same time, a man was going to Tom's residence to clean windows.. He saw the murder of Riley right before his eyes. This is the gun that was used to shoot the victim," Miles grabbed a picture of a black pistol from his bag, with circles around the fingerprints that were found to be Richards'."Your Honor, my first witness is Aksi Myron."

A young man walked over to the the witness platform. He was clean-shaven. "Do you swear to tell the truth?" the bailiff asked.

"Yes, I will tell the truth," the man said.

"Now, Mr. Myron, tell me, where you on the day of the crime," Edgeworth said.

"Well," Myron paused for a moment, then continued. "I was going to the estate of Tom Riley to clean his windows.I am part of a cleaning service. When I was done, I was going to ring the doorbell, but I first wiped my gloves, because they were wet. That's when I saw the fire at the barn. I then I peeked into the barn, and saw that man-" He pointed at Richard. "He was holding a gun in his hand, and then he shot Tom Riley!" From this statement, the court when in an uproar.

"Order, order in the court!" the Judge ordered. "Ms. Jacobs, would you like to cross-examine the witness?"

"Yes, I would," I said. I walked up to Aksi Myron as Edgeworth went to the prosecutor's corner. "Mr. Myron, what is the name of the cleaning service you work for?"

"Haggler's All Around Work and Assistance Company," he said.

"And what was the time you had finished cleaning?"

"4:30," he said confidently. "I saw it on the clock at Tom's."

Aksi had his alibi clearly memorized, yet I knew there was something wrong. What was it? I shook my head.

"Objection!" _HWIPH_! The end of a rope was at the floor, and by that point, I'd already known the wielder. "The testimony of the witness is clearly against the already known facts in the court record!" Maurice glared at Aksi. I was puzzled by her statement at first, but then it clicked.

"Order, order in the court!" The Judge commanded. "What is the meaning of this, defense?"

"The court record clearly says that the time of murder was 3:00," Maurice said.

"Therefore, the witness could not have seen the murder take place, because it would have been too late!" I added.

Aksi's face was flush. He was stunned. This case was a case of twists and turns, and I was hoping that this contradiction would unravel it all.


	4. Chapter 4: The Verdict

"I have a simple answer to this, Your Honor," Edgeworth glared at Maurice, and she glared at him. "We have investigated that clock-and we found that it was broken."

"Very well then, you may continue the cross-examination Ms. Jacobs," the Judge said.

I shook my head. I thought I had the answer. Maurice had a cold glare, and I knew she was up to something. I decided to press the witness some more. "You said you work for Haggler, did you not?"

"If you are asking for verification, there is no need. I have the papers right here." Edgeworth took a document out of a folder and laid it on the prosecutor's table. Errgh! Aski and Edgeworth had their alibi memorized.

 _O_ _oo!_ All eyes turned toward the whistling Maurice looking at a replica of the gun found at the crime scene. But she wasn't just examining it, she was trying to match the fingerprints found on the original. Suddenly, the contradictions were apparent."Ms. von Karma, what pray tell are you doing?" The Judge looked impatient.

"Oh, just looking at the evidence, Your Honor." Maurice looked up at me with a glare that said: "Aren't you supposed to be a lawyer?" Yes I was supposed to be a lawyer, and a lawyer I would be.

I turned around and said to Aksi, "You say that my client, Richard Maxwell, shot Tom Riley, did you not?"

He said, "Yes, that is truth!"

"Well, Richard could have shot someone, I'm not disagreeing with that." Murmurs traveled throughout the courtroom.

"Please explain yourself, Ms. Jacobs!" Edgeworth exclaimed.

"It's simple, can't you see it?" Maurice stifled a yawn."Or can you, Miles?"

"To continue my explanation, it is obviously clear that Richard couldn't have shot Tom Riley aiming the gun at his head!" More murmurs arose when I said those words.

"Order! Order in the court! Ms. Jacobs, do you have any evidence to back up your claim?" The Judge asked.

"The same evidence Mr. Edgeworth gave. Look at the picture of the gun, notice the position of my client's fingerprints. If you were to emulate the holding of the gun at the time of the murder well, let's just say that it would be very difficult for my client to shoot Thomas Riley."

"If that is the case, then who shot the gun?" asked Edgeworth.

"Who else? Well, you are staring right at him," I said. "The man who shot Mr. Riley was without a doubt, Aksi Myron!" I turned and pointed at him.

"If I was the one who shot Riley, the why is there no proof of that! Without this proof, you can't possibly call me a murderer," Myron said.

"There is no proof, because you wiped away the evidence!" I countered.

"Whatever do you mean, Ms. Jacobs?" Myron was losing his edge, I could feel it.

"In your own testimony, you said that you wore gloves to handle cleaning equipment, did you not? I might add that by this act, wearing gloves, your fingerprints would not be on anything you had with you, that might also include a gun," I glared at him, my fists clenched. "Admit it, Myron! You killed Thomas Riley, not my client."

At this point, Myron burst forth with maniacal laughter. "I guess lady lawyer has solved the case, leaving the 'smartest lawyer in the world' completely dumbfounded!"

"I will say it again: admit all you know!" I snapped.

"Why should I admit to you-"

"Oh, Myron." Maurice spoke with a rich, German accent that was fitting for her. "If you don't admit everything you know to the court, you might suffer something much distasteful than prison." She unzipped her leather purse, and took out the "von Karma signature", a whip. "I don't think you'd want a von Karma whipping now would you?"

"Ok, OK," Myron babbled. "I am not Aksi Myron. I am Myron Ichman, also known, as Jellyfish. I was involved in a political power grab once here in Odyssey." Richard looked up, shaking his head as Myron continued. "I went to Tom's to kill him, but when I saw Richard, I knew this was my chance to get two birds with one stone. I could get Tom, and have everyone distrusting of Richard. But you lady lawyers stopped me."

"Well, Your Honor, It looks like this is a closed case,' I said to the Judge.

"Indeed. The jury will now reconvene for ten minutes to decide the final outcome." Those ten minutes came and went. And a verdict of "Not Guilty" was passed. Richard was now a freeman. In the defendants lobby, Richard came over to thank me.

"Ms. Jacobs, I'm really thankful. I had no idea it was Jellyfish."

"It's no problem. Anything to help a-"

"Ms. Jacobs?" Edgeworth stepped in, with a face of cold stone. "That was an excellent performance." He stared at me for a little while, then started to leave when the voice of Maurice hit our ears.

"Miles! Don't go, not yet!" Edgeworth turned around to hear Maurice. "Miles, I wanted...I wanted you to know that...well…" Maurice stammered to find the right words, then blurted out "Miles, can't we rekindle our relationship?! It has been so long since I spoke with you, or father, or sister! Can't we at least be friends?"

Edgeworth stared at Maurice before finally saying, " Maurice Evelyn, I guess your sister is right. You are foolish fool." The bitter statement hit Maurice hard. She fell to the floor, sobbing as Miles walked away.

"All my life, I was called to be the perfect daughter, the perfect image of what a von Karma should be. But I wasn't. I faltered, like any normal person. I guess I, Maurice Evelyn von Karma, faltered to much." She took out her whip and lashed out at anything. I just stood, for 2 minutes, I just stood. But my anger was fuming, not just at Miles, but at Maurice, for the way she treated this ordeal.

"That is enough!" I commanded. Maurice turned around tears on her face and dress. I immediately regretted my actions. "I..I'm sorry Maurice, I shouldn't have chastised you."

"Robyn?" Maurice looked questioningly at me. "What makes you happy?"

"Well, that's a simple question," I remarked. "It's not a what that makes me happy, it's a Who."

"Well then, Who is it that makes you happy?"

"Jesus, The Christ, and my Savior."

"I've heard a lot about Him from the folks around here, but I never truly considered what they were saying."

"Maurice, He came to a world fallen and destroyed by man itself, full of sin, suffering, and separation from God. But His death and resurrection on a cross turned the world head over heels! He made it possible to have a perfect and complete relationship with God, if you accept him as Savior and Lord!" I smiled and said, "I think I can introduce you to a man who can explain this much better than I can."

We took our belongings, and walked down to the main street of town. Dozens and dozens of tents lined up the street and McAlester Park. I saw Connie and waved to her. She saw and ran over. "I thought you'd never make it!"

"What is this? Some sort of camp meeting?"

"Yeah, it is, Robyn! Some of the folks here decided to pull this all together. Every month we have one of these."

"Well, me and my friend Maurice would like to see Mr. Whitaker."

"He's right over at the main tent area, next to Whit's End." We said goodbye to Connie, and walked over there.

" _We shall sing  
Yes we'll sing  
We will sing in sweet accord!"_

Eugene, playing his ukulele, sang the old campfire songs with fervor. And there was the man I was looking for, Mr. Whitaker. He was with a strange looking man. The man wore and old, brown coat. He was holding a top-hat with the same color. "Mr. Whitaker! It's me Robyn!"

"Oh, hello Robyn. And who's this with you?" Mr. Whitaker asked.

"I am Maurice von Karma. Robyn said that you are a man who knows quite a lot about faith and religion. I would like to talk with you privately about such matters."

"Well, nice to meet you Maurice. And yes, we could talk." Whit looked at the man next to him. 'Professor, you don't mind?"

"Oh, no," the man said. "It is always the gentleman's duty to help a lady."

As Mr. Whitaker and Maurice went into the main building, I decided to introduce myself to this strange fellow. "I am Hershel Layton," he said. What I didn't know, is that with those words, I'd be taken into the most fantastical adventure of my life, an adventure that could have put the town of Odyssey at risk, but it was an adventure that taught me something. Well, I'm getting to far off into my stories, aren't I. But I won't be the one to tell you of such a story, no, I'll stick to my career. But I do know someone who can tell you of the story, a story which deserves the telling, not from my inadequate words, however. But I know that you will hear of the story sometime. The story involved some peculiar characters, and a perilous brooch.


	5. AIO Expanded Universe Story List

**AIO Expanded Universe**

"Robyn Jacobs: Ace Attorney" Series:

1: Firsts Wits(Complete)  
2: To be announced  
3: To be announced

Emily Jones/ Professor Layton Series:

1\. Professor Layton and the Marconite Jewel (Out now: s/13302252/1/Professor-Layton-and-the-Marconite-Jewel)  
2\. Professor Layton and the Perilous Brooch (Being Re-Written)  
3\. To be announced


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